Apparatuses or tools for attaching joining elements and/or functional elements to components are known, for example, setting tool heads or setting or riveting tools.
Functional elements or joining elements such as, for example, half-hollow self-pierce rivets, full punch rivets or clinch rivets, are able to be processed using such apparatuses or tools.
The joining elements or functional elements provided for a join to the component are moved, prior to the attaching of the same to the component, by way of a linearly movable punch from a presentation position of the apparatus to the component and there are attached under the effect of force.
Elements which are attached to at least one material or sheet-metal layer or which are used for joining, in particular, two or more material layers such as, for example, metal or sheet-metal layers, are to be understood as joining elements, a joining operation taking place when the joining element is attached. All types of rivet elements are deemed to be joining elements. Functional elements are deemed to be elements which are attached to at least one material layer in order to provide a function and/or form on the material layer such as, for example, a stud section, thread section and/or ball section or a different functionality and/or form.
A combination of a joining element and a functional element in one element is possible.